Chase County Commissioners voted Sept. 9 to join Southwest Nebraska Juvenile Services and authorize the program chair to sign contracts on behalf of the regional juvenile services consortium. The three commissioners voted unanimously to approve both a memorandum of understanding and an interlocal agreement.

The approvals commit Chase County to be a party to the Southwest Nebraska Juvenile Services (SWNEJS) arrangement for Community-Based Juvenile Services Aid. County Attorney Joel Burke told the board he saw no legal barrier to joining and recommended signing the documents.

Commissioner Kurt Bernhardt moved to sign the Southwest Nebraska Juvenile Services Memorandum of Understanding between counties for the Community-Based Juvenile Services Aid Program; Commissioner Billie Muehlenkamp seconded the motion, and Brown, Muehlenkamp and Bernhardt voted yes. Later, Commissioner Jacci Brown moved to sign an interlocal agreement authorizing Rory Roundtree, as chairperson of SWNEJS, to sign professional service contracts on behalf of SWNEJS; the motion was seconded by Bernhardt and carried unanimously.

The actions put Chase County formally on record as a participating county in the regional juvenile services program and delegate signature authority for professional contracts to SWNEJS leadership. No fiscal details or limits on the county’s financial obligations were discussed during the motions on the record.

County staff and the county attorney indicated the documents were suitable for signature; there was no formal motion recorded to attach budget allocations, and no additional direction was given at the meeting about implementation steps.